Andy Reid’s new contract is more significant to Nottingham Forest than the 5-0 win over West Ham

Andy Reid celebrates his goal in Nottingham Forest’s 5-0 win over West Ham at the City Ground (Photo: Reuters)

It’s hard to remember a better day in recent times to be a Nottingham Forest fan.

Not only did they humiliate West Ham 5-0 in the third round but manager Billy Davies revealed immediately afterwards that the talismanic Andy Reid had signed a new two-and-a-half year contract.

Although scraping out of League One was more significant, the previous best day since the turn of the millennium was probably the 3-0 win at Manchester City at the same stage of the competition five years ago.

But while at the time that was very much a one-off performance, in the week Davies was first appointed Forest manager, this had a very different feel about it with a nationwide TV audience seeing a Reds side brimming with potential for the future.

Billy Davies has his critics, but his team’s passing style is easy on the eye (Photo: Getty Images)

What really stood out was the quality of Forest’s football. Whatever criticisms are levelled at Davies – and there are many – the one thing you cannot deny is that on their best the football his team produces, particularly at the City Ground, is a joy to watch.

It is a team packed with flair players, from the ball-playing full-backs Eric Lichaj and Gonzalo Jara, to the Arsenal midfield graduate Henri Lansbury and enigmatic Algerian Djamel Abdoun. The contrast with the club famed for the ‘West Ham academy’ could barely have been starker.

At the heart of it all is the imperious Reid who was probably Forest’s best player of the 21st century even before his return to the City Ground in the summer of 2011.

There is no doubt about that accolade now. Many players may be on a downward spiral at the age of 31, but Reid simply gets better with age.

The Irish international’s vision and quality on the ball have never been in doubt but he seems to have thrived even further on the responsibility of taking over the captaincy from the injured Chris Cohen.

Reid (R) has played in the Premier League for four clubs – but has yet to make it with Forest (Photo: Getty Images)

And if you were in any doubt about his influence on the others, look at the paternal way he urged Paterson to keep his feet on the ground as he handed over the man-of-the-match champagne on behalf of ITV.

Reid may have played in the top flight for Tottenham, Charlton, Sunderland and Blackpool, but there would be something extra special about him doing it in the Garibaldi.

He’s a class act which is why, on a day that Forest beat a Premier League team 5-0, Reid’s new contract was the best news of all.